Self-discharging and convertible freight-car



4 Sheets- Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

J. W. MORSE. SEEE DISGEARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT GAE. No. 587,348.

C) 37m/enfer.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

rm: mams Pavan; co. woraLlruc.. wAsHmsmN. D c.

(No Model.) whew-Sheet 2.

J. W. MORSE.

SEEE DISGEAEGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT GAE.

No. 537,348. Si n Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

ma mums PETERS co. Pauw-mmc.. wAsumarm. n r.

(No Model.)

4 Sheeyts-Sheet 3. J. W. MORSE.

SELF DISCHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAIR.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

11H: mms um cu, morowa.WASHINGTON' l C (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J.W. MQRSB. SELF DISGHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT GAR. No. 537,348.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895.I

NITED STATES PATENT Fierce.

JAMES W. MORSE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SELF-DISCHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT-CAR.

sPEcrFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,348, dated April e,1895.

Application filed March 29, 1894 Serial No. 505,540. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JAMES W. MORSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Discharging and Convertible Freight-Cars; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to freight cars; and

has for its object to provide a constructionfor rendering the car selfdischarging, and for converting an ordinary car from the rectangular tohopper-like form, or vice versa, whereby the same car-body may beinterchangeably used, either in the rectangular form or in thehopper-like form, according to the character of merchandise With whichthe same is to be loaded.

To these ends, the invention' consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices, which will be hereinafter fully described andbe defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Therein likeletters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a side elevation of an ordinary freight car, embodying myimprovements, with some parts shown in diagram lines and with otherparts broken away, and some parts shown in section. Fig. 2 is a similarfull line l view, with the shifting parts in position for forming-thehopper-like interior, and the pivoted gates of the discharge section intheir partly opened position. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section, on theline X X of Fig. l, looking from the left toward theright. Fig. is avertical cross section,on the lineX2 X2 of Fig. 2, looking from the lefttoward the right. Fig. is a plan view of one ofthe shifting floorsections detached. Fig. 6 is a bottom or underneath plan View of thesame. Fig. 7is a detail of one of the brace stops and latches shown inFig. 6, looking in the same direction as in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detailin side elevation, showing the relation of the shifting floor sectionsto the inclined walls of the hopperlike discharge section, at theirpoint of j unc tion, the marginal iianges, &c. Fig. 9 is a section onthe line X3 X3 of Fig. 2,. looking downward for showing the side marginjoint, formed by the shifting floor sections, with the side walls of thecar-body, when said hoor sections are in their hopper forming positions.Fig. l0 is a detail in section, on the line X4 X4 of Fig. 2; and Fig.`1lis a detail in section, on the line X5 X5 of Fig. 2. Fig. l2 is a detailin plan, lshowing the transverse Worm screw shaft, forming a part of thepower device for i operating the discharge gates.

The track-rails or the position of the same are indicated at a, in Figs.l and 2, the truckwheels at a', the truck-frames at at?, and thecar-body holsters at b, in Fig. 2.

With the exceptions hereinafter noted, the car-body may be of theordinary standard construction, adapted for heavy loads of grain, orother similar material, with the ordinary longitudinal bottom sills ortimbers b', top girders b2, endwalls b3, top-deck b4, stationary doorsections b5, side-walls b and side door openings 57.

Turning now to my improvements, I construct the car-body with a centralhopperlike discharge section extending below the Hoor level; which isshown as composed of metallic side plates f, and sectional metallicend-plates ff2, forming the convergent end Walls of the said dischargesection, all of which parts are supported from the floor timbers of thecar-body proper. The lower sections f2 of said end walls of thedischarge hopper are pivoted tothe fixed sections f', as shown at f3,and, in one position, co-operate with each other, as shown in Fig. l, toform the bottom Wall of the hopper, and in other positions, such asshown in Fig. 2, serve as drops or discharge-gates for emptying the car.When in the discharging position, as shown in Fig. 2, the said gatesf2form downwardextensions of the convergent orinclined walls of thedischarge hopper to a point below the track level, for insuring thedelivery from the car into a suitable pit or other receptacle below thetrack. The said discharge gates]E2 are provided each with a pair ofsector-gears f4, at their opposite side margins, which are engaged bycorresponding 'worms f5, on a pair of vertical shafts f6 mounted inbearings f7, and provided on their upper ends With Worm-gears f s. Thesaid Worm-gears f8 are engaged by worms f9 on a transverse shaft lor flojournaled in the side Walls of the discharge section, or otherwise,directly under the floor timbers of the car. The said transverse shaftflo extends to the exterior of' the car-body, at each of its ends, andis provided with means for the application of a handwrench or othersuitable hand device for operating the same. As shown, the said shaftflo has ends which are of angular form in cross section, which adaptsthe same for the application of a wrench or crank-handle, and enablesthe gates to be operated from either side of the car. The said sectorsand wormshafts and gears, just described, constitute a power device, forcontrolling the discharge gates f2, which power device is of a form toafford a large leverage, and which will hold the gates in Whateverposition they may be set. The said gates f2 should be constructed tomeet at their lowermost margins, with a slight jamming action, under thepower applied thereto from the worms. for securing and insuring agrain-tight joint, when the said gates are in their horizontal position,as shown in Fig. l. Likewise, the pivotal connections f5, uniting thesaid gates with the fixed sections f', are of the rounded hinge-lugform, as shown in Figs. 3 and It, which insure a grain-tight joint atthat point. To permit a free action to the said sector gears f4 and theworm-shafts f6 unimpeded by the weight or the mass of the grain, theseparts work within suitable incasingrsheaths formed by the outside hopperside walls f and inside sheathing plates fu, as clearly shown in Figs. 3and 4, which are closed at their tops but open at their bottoms, to keepout the grain and permit the free downward movement of the sectors. Allthe parts of this central discharge hopper, under the fioor level, ofthe car are made of' sufficient strength tor sustain the heaviest loadof self discharging material, which the car-is adapted to carry, and thejoints should all be fitted with a closeness sufficient to hold grainand all other similar finely divided material usually1 carried ingrain-cars.

The car-body proper is provided with shiftp ing parts, which are adaptedto take different positionsV for converting the interior of the car-bodyfrom rectangular to hopper-like form and vice versa. In the constructionshown, the shifting parts which I employ for this purpose arefioorsections 7i, which, when in their lowermost position, extend fromthe fixed floor sections b5 to the center of the car and co-operatetherewith to complete the car-fioor and cover the central dischargehopper; and

which floor sections h, when thrown up into the positions shown in Fig.2, co-operate with the end wallsof the discharge hopper to form upwardextensions of the same on the same convergent lines, to a point ofjunction with the end walls-b3 of the car, at or near the union of thesaid end walls with the top of the car. For directing the said floorsections 71 from their floor forming to their hopper forming position,and vice versa, inclined guides are provided on the side walls bof thecar-body, which are composed of a series of pivoted sections c and fixedsections 7c. Of these parts, the pivoted sections 7s, when in theirguide forming positions, rest against stop-pins or lugs 7a2 andco-operate with the upper or fixed sections 7c', to form continuousinclined guides for directing said shifting floor sections 7i in theirmovement from one position to another, as before stated; but whichpivoted sections 71: may be turned upward, when the floor sections 71,are in their hopper forming positions, and be made to form braces forassisting in the support of said sections h, from the body of the car,as shown in Fig. 2. When the said parts 7c are in theirbracing position,they will be held at their upper ends between stop-lugs 7L on the saidiioor sections h and springlatches 72,2, also carried thereon. Theseparts 7a 7c are preferably made of angle-bars. The floor sections 7i areprovided at their opposite ends with rollers h3, which work in ways b9,cut in the side members of the Hoor-sills b', when in their lowermostposition, and, when moving from one position to another, traverse thesaid ways and the top surfaces of the inclined guides, formed by theparts 7i: 7e', for facilitating the shifting action with the minimum ofpower. The said floor sections 7i are pro/vided on their under sideswith strengthening ribs 7L4 h5, of which the central members 715 aretrough-shaped and rest, when the floor sections are in their lowermostposition, on the angular faced top surfaces of the central floor timbers79' The said iioor sections 7L are also provided with upturned sidemarginal sectional flanges h6 72,7, of which the sections 715 are fixedand the lower sections 71,7, are pivoted with hinge lug joints, as shownat hs, to the bodies of said floor sections. their lowermost positions,the said pivoted marginal flanges 7L7 turn outward, as shown in Fig. 3into a rabbeted seat on the side menibers of the floor timbers b', toafford a continuous flat floor surface opposite the dooropenings 727;but which, when the said sections 71 are raised to their hopper formingpotions, turn up into line with the fixed marginal fianges 716. When thefioor sections hare in this uppermost position, the said marginalflanges 72,6 717 are engaged and overlapped by iiange joint strips p,which arel pivoted to the car-body, as shown at p', at their upper ends,for turning up ont of the way when not in use. When the said flanges h6717 are engaged. by the joint-strips p, a grain-tight joint will beformed between the side walls of the car and the said shifting floorsections 71, when in their hopper forming position. For securing thesaid joint-strips p in their joint forming positions, a series of nutsp2 are countersunk into and made fast with the side walls of thecar,which are adapted to be engaged by thumb-screws p3 carried on the IOOjoint strips. These thumbserews p3 are held by yoke shapedspring-keepers p4, securedto the joint strips at their ends, and. heldthereto with freedom for lateral spreading motion, by a slot and screwconnection therewith as shown at Thethumb-serew p3 is therefore alwaysavailable and when made to engage with the fixed nut, the spring-keepersp4 will spread laterally into a flat position fiush with the face of thejoint strip, as shown in Fig. ll. The thumb-screws p3 are held inposition, on their keepers p4, with freedom l for rotary motion, by asuitable collar p6, se-

cured thereto in any suitable way, after the thumb-screws are insertedinto their seats in the said keepers. A similar fixed nut p2 is placedat some point near the top of the car, for co-operation with one of saidthumb-screws p3, to hold the joint-strip in its uppermost or idleposition.

The top of the car is provided with a series of trap-door sections fr,suitably spaced apart from each other, lengthwise of the car, forpermitting the same to be loaded from the top when using the car forgrain, or other self discharging material. These trap-doors may belocked down in any suitable way, as by pivoted hooks r', engaging lugsr2 on the trap-doors.

When using the car for grain, or other self discharging material,suitable grain doors would be employed of the ordinary kind, to closethe side door openings 297 upto the grainlevel. It has not been thoughtnecessary to show for the purposes of this case, either the grain-dooror the ordinary car-door; but on the contrary, said parts have beenpurposely omitted from the drawings for the better showing up of theother features of the construction.

The end walls of the car are shown, as provided with the ordinaryopenings b1", which `would be elosable by sliding doors not shown, forpermitting the car to be loaded with lumber or other long material, whenso desired.

Having regard to the action, the operation is probably clear from thedescription already given. When using the car, for other than selfdischarging material, the car-body would be in the ordinary rectangularform, on its interior, with all the parts in the positions shown in Fig.l. When it should be desired to use the car for the grain or other selfdischarging materials, the shifting parts would be thrown into thepositions shown in Fig. 2,

with the exception that the gates would -bei drawn up into their closedposition, as shown in Fig. l. Grain-doors would then be applied to theopenings 57, and the car be loaded with the grain either in the ordinaryway, or by spouting the same in through the trap-door openings at thetop of the car. The Whole interior of the car is then of hopper-likeform, and when the ear reaches the point of delivery, it is onlynecessary to lower the pivoted gates f2 into their open position, asshown in Fig. 2, when, under the action of gravity, the entire load willdischarge itself into the pit or otherfreceptacle below the track.

It will benoted that the construction is such, that a large `part of theload is carried below the floor level; and that While a loss of space isincurred, at the ends of the car-body,

this loss is largely made up by the discharge hopper'under the center ofthe ear. Hence, by loading the car to somewhat higher lines, a load maybe carried equal to that in the ordinary grain-ear.

I do not confine myself to the particular form and arrangement ofshifting-parts herein shown, for converting the car-body from theordinary rectangular form to the hopper-like form, for carrying selfdischarging material, as the same result may be secured by other formsof construction, one of which is fully shown and described in acompanion ease filed by me of even date herewith. I believe that I amthe first to provide any kind of means for thus converting the interiorof' an ordinary rectangular car into hopperlike form, or from thehopper-like form back into the rectangular form, at will; and I desirherein to claim the same broadly.

It is equally obvious, that many of the details, such as thejointstrips, braces, dac., might be changed, without departing from theprinciples of my invention.

The floor framing of the car is, as shown, reinforced,at the junctionsof ,the same, with the hopper sections f', by transverse tilling blocksor timbers 511, which are secured between or to the longitudinal silltimbers b.

When the floor sections h, are in their up'- permost or hopper formingpositions, the lower members of the rollers h3 rest in depressed seatsfm, formed in horizontal extensions fis, diverging at an angle from thehopper see tions f', and extendingto and underlapping the fixed floorsections b5. These depressions f12 prevent the downward slippage of saidiloor sections h, when in their hopper forming positions, and thehorizontal plates f13 serve to reinforce the car-floor and to co-operatewith the guides 7c 7c', in directing the shifting floor sections h fromone to the other of their positions.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. The combination with the car-body having the hopper-like dischargesection constructed with one or more pivoted gates, of sector gearscarried by saidl gates, vertical shafts provided with worms engagingsaid sectors and having worm-gears fixed thereto, and a transverse shaftextending to the eXterior of the car having worms engaging saidwormf-gears and provided with means for applying a Wrench or other handlever for operating the same, substantially as. described.

2. In a car-body, the combination with a central hopper like sectionbelow the floor level, of the shifting iioor sections, adapted,

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when down, to cover said discharge section, and when up, to form upwardextensions of the convergent lWalls ot the hopper, and inclinedguideways, for directing said Iioor sections to and from their differentpositions, composed of pivoted sections adapted to be turned up and madeto form braces for said Hoor sections, when in their hopper formingpositions, substantially as described.

3. In a car body, the combination With the shifting floor sections,having the brace-stops and spring latches, of theinciined guide Ways forthe same composed of the pivoted sections adapted to be turned up andengaged between said stops and latches to brace the floor sec tions intheir hopper forming positions, substantialiy as described..

4. In a car-body, the combination with the shifting tioor sections ofthe pivoted side mar- JAMES W. MORSE.

Witnesses:

JAS. F. WILLIAMSON, EMMA F. ELMORE.

